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Module 1.1

Practical Skills Assessed in Written Examination

Master the practical skills you need to excel in OCR Physics written papers

OCR H556
Foundation

Study Time

8-10 hours

What You'll Learn

  • • Experimental planning
  • • Implementing procedures
  • • Data analysis techniques
  • • Evaluation methods

Exam Weight

15% of practical skills appear in written papers

What This Module Covers

Module 1.1 focuses on the practical skills assessed in written examination papers. While you won't be conducting actual experiments during these papers, you'll be asked questions about experimental methods, data analysis, and evaluation.

Approximately 15% of marks in Papers 1, 2, and 3 come from questions testing these practical skills. Mastering this module is essential for maximizing your grade.

The Four Key Skill Areas

25%

Planning

Equal weighting in assessments

25%

Implementing

Equal weighting in assessments

25%

Analysing

Equal weighting in assessments

25%

Evaluating

Equal weighting in assessments

How This Links to the Practical Endorsement

Module 1.1 skills are directly assessed in your written exams, while Module 1.2 covers the Practical Endorsement (PAG activities you complete in class).

The skills are identical - the difference is where they're assessed. Strong performance in your PAG work will directly prepare you for these exam questions.

Where Students Lose Marks

!

Not identifying independent, dependent, and control variables clearly

!

Failing to include appropriate units in data tables

!

Drawing incorrect best-fit lines or ignoring anomalies

!

Not calculating uncertainties or error bars

!

Writing vague evaluation statements without specific improvements

!

Confusing systematic and random errors

1.1.1 Planning Experiments

Content coming soon - Planning experimental procedures, identifying variables, risk assessment, and equipment selection.

1.1.2 Implementing Procedures

Content coming soon - Equipment setup, measurement techniques, and reducing uncertainties.

1.1.3 Analysing Results

Content coming soon - Data tables, uncertainty calculations, graphs, and linearisation techniques.

1.1.4 Evaluating Procedures

Content coming soon - Identifying errors, validity vs reliability, and suggesting improvements.

Interactive Tools

Coming soon - Graph sketcher, uncertainty calculator, and data analysis tools.

Exam Practice

Coming soon - Practice questions with mark schemes and model answers.